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The American economy may not be truly healthy yet, but it's healing.
The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage rose this week for the first time this month, though it remained below 4 percent for the eighth straight week.
The number of people seeking unemployment benefits rose last week to a seasonally adjusted 377,000, up from a nearly four-year low the previous week. But the longer-term trend is pointing to a healthier job market.
In an unusual burst of activity Wednesday, the Federal Reserve said it will probably keep interest rates low for nearly three years, provided an inflation target for the first time, updated its economic projections and began providing interest-rate forecasts.
Global leaders are sharply at odds over how to rescue Europe from its escalating debt crisis: Should they focus more urgently on economic growth or on budget cuts?
The economy is off to a fast start in 2012.
The number of people seeking unemployment benefits plummeted last week to 352,000, the fewest since April 2008. The decline added to evidence that the job market is strengthening.
Consumer prices were unchanged last month, the latest sign that inflation remains tame. Lower gas prices offset rising costs for food, medical care and housing.
Wholesale prices fell last month because companies paid less for food and energy, evidence that inflation remains tame.
A recession in Europe and weaker growth in India, Brazil and other developing countries will likely slow global economic growth, the World Bank says.
The number of people seeking unemployment benefits plummeted last week to 352,000, the fewest since April 2008. The decline added to evidence that the job market is strengthening.
U.S. employers stepped up their hiring in November but pulled back slightly on the number of jobs they advertised.
For most people, the 8.5 percent unemployment rate is the most visible sign of the economy's health. The rate's every movement is closely watched, especially in an election year.
The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell further in the final week of 2011, a positive sign for hiring one day ahead of Friday's December employment report.
The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell further last week, ending the year on a three-month run of declines that point to stronger hiring in 2012.
Four painful years after the Great Recession struck and wiped out 8.7 million jobs, the United States may finally be in an elusive pattern known as a virtuous cycle — an escalating loop of hiring and spending.
Manufacturing grew in December at the fastest pace in six months and hiring at U.S. factories picked up. The data helped bolster the view that the economy gained momentum at the end of last year.
The number of people seeking unemployment benefits rose last week after three weeks of decline.
Consumer prices stayed flat in November, further evidence that inflation has cooled off.
In in the latest sign that the economy is surging at year's end, unemployment claims have dropped to the lowest level since April 2008, long before anyone realized that the nation was in a recession.
The outlook for the job market is looking brighter.
Wholesale prices rose a modest 0.3 percent last month as companies paid more for such items as food and pharmaceuticals. But energy prices barely rose, keeping inflation in check.
Two-thirds of chief executives of the largest U.S. companies say they don't plan to increase hiring or will cut staff in the next six months, mainly because of sluggish growth in the United States and financial turmoil in Europe.
Economic growth is picking up in the final three months of the year, fueled by higher consumer spending, rising business stockpiles and modest increases in hiring.
U.S. employers advertised slightly fewer jobs in October, a modest decline from a three-year high hit in the previous month.
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